Automatic phonograph



Oct. 11, 1949. F. G. ZANDELIN ET AL AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPH 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 6, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 F. G. ZANDELIN ET AL AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPH Oct. 11, 1949.

Filed March 6, 1944 MNYQWMN Oct. 11, 1949.

F. G. ZANDELIN ET AL 75 AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPH Filed March 6, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Oct. 11, 1949. F. e. ZANDELIN ET AL I $434,775

AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPH Filed March 6, 1944 4 Sheets-Shet 4 Patented Oct. 11, 1949 UNITED STATE?) AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPH Application March 6, 1944, Serial No. 525,244 In Sweden March 13, 1943 Claims. 1

This invention relates to phonographs using disc-shaped records and has for its general object to provide an improved record changing mech anism capable of delivering records to playing position from a pile of records mounted above the phonograph turn-table.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and'arrangement of elements hereunto fullydes'cribe'd. illustrated in-the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

On said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partial plan view of one form of our improved record changing mechanism, showing in addition the phonograph tone-arm in diiierent positions and parts of the turn-table and one record in two different positions.

Fig. 2 is an elevation partl broken away of the elements illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation illustrating one end of the tone-arm together with-its associated supporting means and a record displacing element.

Fig. 4 is a plan view partly broken away showing particularl the elements for moving the tone arm outwardly.

As illustrated the phonograph comprises a base plate l supporting a turn-table 2! having a stationary two-part centre spindle 3 the upper part of which has a vertical extension in the form of 'a pin 4 slightly eccentric to the centre spindle 3 proper and adapted to receive a pile of discshaped records to be played preferably also a loading plate (not shown) resting on said pile. On the drawings only the lowermost record S is shown resting immediately outside its'centre hole/h on a shoulder 5 the top of centre spindle 3 and underlying at the opposite side of centre hole h a shoulder at the bottom of record holding pin A so to permit a lateral displacement of record S until. hole 72. will be vertically above and register with centre spindle is permitting record S to descend along centre spindle 3 to playing position.

According to our'invention displacement is effected by means Of the tone-arm I in response to the ordinary outward movement thereof from the position shown in dash-and-dot lines to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, after play-- ing of a record. To this end there is secured to the tubular rotary spindle ll of tone-arm i. the hub H of a bracket ii forming a pushing member shaped as a (tongue 5 situated at the level of the lowermost record In said outward movement of tone-arm l the tongue 8' moves from the dash-and-dot line position to the full line position in Fig. 1, thereby engaging the lowermost record "S and pushing it ffrom' 'the 'fu'llxline to the dash-and-dot line position in Fig. 1 so as 5 to initiate a record change.

Although in the preferred form of our invention particularly illustrated on the drawing pushingmember'd' is secured to rotary spindle I?! so as to initiate the record changing operation when the tone-arm is moved outwardly, a similar result may obviously'loe obtained by securing such pushing member to the tone-armbeyond the vertical axis of rotation thereof as viewed from the phonograph needle.

' Tone-arm 1 is vertically swingably journalled on a'lever at (Fig. 3) by means of a stud Ill, said leverbeing secured to the upper end of tubular spindle iZ journalled in a sleeve [4 secured to plate l. Secured .to the lower end of spindle ii! is a'lever I 6 (Figs. 1 and 3). vAXially movable in spindle i2 "is-a lifting spindle =53 (Fig. 3) on which tone-arm l rests at 2G. The swinging and liftingmovements of tone-arm I .are derivedirom a control :disc 2i (Fig. 1) actuated atits circumference by a frictional .drivingroller l lmounted on a shaft driven from an electric motor .46 bolted to base .plate .i, saidsh'aft serving-.alsolto rotate turntable 2 .by meansof two-pulleyslfill, cc' and a belt 6!.

Tone-arm 1 is-swung outwards by means of a pin All (Fig.1) mounted on control disc 2|, said pin in the'countercl-ockwise rotation of control disc 2i op'eratinga lever 58 which by means-"of a connecting rod 35 is connected to lever ii. Tone arm 7 is thereby swung to the 'full line position'rin Fig. 1, resulting in a delivery ofa fresh record to playing position in the manner described in-theioregoing Tone-arm l is then swung inwards to playing position by means of a pin-5i]- carried by'control disc 2| and acting directly'on an extension of lever Iii. Having beerrswung'inwards totheposi'tion shown in'ithin dash-'anddot lines in which the phonograph 'needle iiliris situated above the initial groove of the record delivered'to playing'position,'ton'e arm l is lowered, the lowering movement bein'g'com trolledby a roller 5! rotatorily mounted at one end-of alever H journalled intermediate its ends in a bracket 55 secured to base plate I and pivoted at its opposite end to spindle it. Thus roller 5| under the action of the gravity of tone-arm l is pressed against the bottom face of control disc 2! provided'with a recess 52 into which roller 5| enters in the course of the rotation of-control disc 2| whereby tone-arm I is permitted to drop to playing position.

Tone-arm I having dropped to a position in which needle 65 engages the sound groove of the record now in playing position, control disc 2| is caused to stop by a recess 53 (Fig. 1) at the circumference thereof reaching a position opposite roller 44 which engages in said recess, thus preventing a continued rotation of control disc 2|. After the playing of the record, control disc 2| is started again by a device not forming a part of the invention and therefore not shown whereby roller 5| quits recess 52 and raises spindle I3 which in turn raises tone-arm I from the record played. whereupon tone-arm I is swung outwards in the manner above described.

Resting on base plate i by means of a flange 24 (Fig. 2) is a bracket 22 forming a support 23 on which record S rests at its circumference adjacent tongue 8'. Prefer-ably support 23 as shown is formed with a recess 2! facing record S so as to form two spaced supporting lugs for record S.

The invention also provides facilities for repeated playing of any record delivered to playing position. For this purpose bracket 22 is adapted to be raised in such a manner that tongue 8' when rotated 'by tone-arm I after playing of a record can pass freely beneath the record resting on support 23. Thus no fresh record is delivered to playing position and the record last played will therefore be replayed when tone-arm I is moved inwards and the phonograph needle lowered on to said record.

In the form as shown the raising of support 23 is effected by means of a lever 28 (Fig. 2) mounted for rotation in a bracket 29 depending from base plate I. Mounted at one end of said lever is a key 30 by the depression of which the opposite T-shaped end 3| of lever 28 will be pressed against the curved bot om faces of two studs 32, 32' riveted to flange 24 so as to raise bracket 22, studs 32, 32' then sliding in corresponding apertures in base plate I. When key 30 is released after the commencement of the replaying. bracket 22 returns to its initial position whereby the lowermost record resting on support 23 is lowered to a position ready for record changing. The restoring of bracket 22 is facilitated by s rings 33 compressed in the de ression of end 3| of lever 28.

Obviously. key 30 may be locked in its depressed position so as to secure re eated replaying of one and the same record till key 30 is released. In the embodiment illustrated t s looking is effected by swi gin kev shaft 63 (Fi 2) by de ress ng key 3|! whereby a recess 62 in said shaft is moved into engagement with base plate I.

The phonogra h is automatically stopped by the following means:

From b se plate I raises a shaft 34 (Fig. 2) journalled for rotat on in base la e I and in a bracket 35 secured thereto. Mounted at the upper end of shaft 34 by means of a hub 31 is a bell-crank lever 36, said hub being provided with an elongated aperture 4|] through which a transverse pin 39 secured to shaft 34 extends.

The two arms of bell-crank lever 36 are formed with lugs 4| and 42 respectively of which the former as shown in Fig. 1 normally is situated beneath the lowermost record mounted on record holding pin 4 and is yieldingly held against the bottom face of said record by means of a spring 38 interposed between the top face of shaft 34 and the bottom face of hub 31.

Secured to the lower end of shaft 34 is a lever 54 (Fig. 1) which by means of a connecting rod 55 is connected to the operating lever 56 of a switch 51.

When the last record of the stack has been delivered to playing position in the manner described in the foregoing, spring 38 forces bellcrank lever 36 upwards and when after the playing of said record, tone-arm I is moved outwards as described in the foregoing then tongue 8' will strike against lug 42 and rotate bellcrank lever 36 to the position shown in dashand-dot lines. Shaft 36 is thereby rotated, whereby lever 54, connecting rod 55 and lever 56 are moved to the positions shown in dashand-dot lines so as to open switch 51 and interrupt the supply of current to motor 46 whereby the phonograph is stopped. Tone-arm I will then stop in its outward movement before it reaches the full line position. As a result, tone-arm I after the placing of fresh records on record holding pin 4, restarting motor 46 by closing switch 51 manually by means of knob M and starting control disc 2! in we-ll known manner, first will move to the full line position thereby initiating the delivery of a record to playing position before tone-arm I moves to playing position.

In order that lug 42 shall not prevent tongue from moving from the full line to the dotted line position in Fig. 1 in the playing of the last record, lug 42 is bevelled-off as indicated at 43 ords, means for displacing the lowermost record of the stack laterally on said shoulder so as to cause said record to descend along said center pin to playing position on said turntable, a tonearm, and means for moving said tone-arm outwardly after the playing of said record, said displacing means comprising a pushing member attached to said tone-arm and mounted at the level of the lowermost record of the stack to engage the circumference of said record in the outward movement of said tone-arm so as to align the hole in the lowermost record with said center pin.

2. In a phonograph adapted to play in succession a plurality of disc-shaped records each having a central hole therein, a turntable, a center pin extending upwardly from said turntable,

a shoulder on said pin for supporting a stack of records, an offset extension of said center pin for receiving the stack of records, means for displacing the lowermost record of the stack latf erally on said shoulder so as to cause said records to descend along said center pin to playing position on said turntable, a tone-arm, a spindle by means of which said tone-arm is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, and means for swinging said tone-arm outwardly after the playing of said record, said displacing means comprising a pushing member attached to said spindle and mounted at the level of the lowermost record of the stack to engage the circumference of said record in the outward movement of said tone-arm so as to align the hole in said record with said center pin.

3. In a phonograph adapted to play in succession a plurality of disc-shaped records each have ing a central hole therein, a turntable, a center pin extending upwardly from the turntable, a shoulder on said pin for supporting a stack of records, an offset extension of said center pin for receiving the stack of records, means for displacing the lowermost record of the stack laterally on said shoulder so as to cause said record to descend along said center pin to playing position on said turntable, a tone-arm supporting a needle and mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, and an extension of said tone-arm beyond the vertical axis of rotation thereof as viewed from said needle for swinging said tonearm outwardly after the playing of said record, said displacing means comprising a pushing member attached to said extension and mounted at the level of the lowermost record of the stack to engage the circumference of said record in the outward movement of said tone-arm so as to align the hole in said record with the center pm.

4. In a phonograph adapted to play in succession a plurality of disc-shaped records each having a central hole therein, a turntable, a center pin extending upwardly from said turntable, a shoulder on said pin for supporting a stack of records, an offset extension of said center pin for receiving the stack of records, means for displacing the lowermost record of the stack laterally on said shoulder so as to cause said record to descend along said center pin to playing position on said turntable, a tone-arm, means for moving said tone-arm outwardly after the playing of said record, said displacing means comprising a pushing member movable with said tone-arm and mounted at the level of the lowermost record of the stack to engage the circumference of said record in the outward movement of said tone-arm so as to align the hole in said record with the pin, a bracket at the circumference of the stack of records adjacent said pushing member for rigidly supporting the edge of the lowermost record of said stack in the path of movement of said displacing means, said bracket extending so far towards the center of said stack that said edge, when the record displaced by said displacing means, leaves said bracket substantially simultaneously as the edge of its center aperture leaves said shoulder of said center pin, and a key-operated lever for raising said bracket to a position in which said pushing member clears the stack of records for the purpose of permitting replaying of any record delivered to playing position.

5. In a phonograph adapted to play in succession a plurality of disc-shaped records each having a central hole therein, a turn table, a center pin extending upwardly from said turntable, a shoulder on said pin for supporting a stack of records, an offset extension of said center pin for receiving the stack of records, means for displacing the lowermost record of the stack laterally on said shoulder so as to cause said record to descend along said center pin to playing position on said turntable, a tone-arm, means for moving said tone-arm outwardly after the playing of said record, said displacing means comprising a pushing member movable with said tone-arm and mounted at the level of the lowermost record of the stack to engage the circumference of said record in the outward movement of said tone-arm so as to align the hole in said record with said pin, means for automatically stopping the phonograph in response to the outward movement of said tone-arm after the playing of the last record of said stack, said means comprising a feeler in the form of a bell-crank lever, one arm of which engages beneath the lowermost record, spring means for shifting said bell-crank lever upon delivery of said record to playing position for moving the other arm of said bell-crank lever into the path of said pushing member so as to be actuated therefrom in the outward movement of said tone-arm, and means operated by said bell-crank for stopping the phonograph.

FRITZ ,GEORG ZANDELIN. ERNST .BERNHARD INGELSTRGM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,725,237 Wierth Aug. 20, 1929 2,031,449 Arvidius Feb. 18, 1936 2,158,328 Johnson May 16, 1939 2,279,851 Waln et a1 Apr. 14, 1942 2,328,052 Butler Aug. 31, 1943 2,328,641 Glaser Sept. 7, 1943 

